The Nile: Source of life?

Nile Headwaters

The great Nile river starts in Jinja, Uganda coming from Lake Victoria.  Lake Victoria is one of the largest lakes in the world and the largest in Africa.  The Nile is the longest river in the world.  It is amazing to me as I looked out over the headwaters of the great Nile river, I thought about how this source of water brings life to so many along its path.  And certainly, water is very important to life, but there is another source of life that is so important and so many are perishing for lack of knowledge about Him.  On our way to the refugee camps, we cross another bridge over the Nile.  At this place in the Nile, the waters are raging with huge rapids.  The day we started our trip up north toward the refugee camps, we came upon an accident scene.  It was rather fresh, as there were not many vehicles or people there.  As we came up, we saw people running to investigate. 

We could see that there was a body in the middle of the road, laying lifelessly.  Someone in the vehicle asked how fast would a car be going to kill a person instantly like that.  Another in the vehicle said speed isn’t needed for such a tragedy.  Simply falling incorrectly and hitting one’s head badly can cause death. 

Soon several people lifted the lifeless form and placed him in the back of a truck, and they drove the man away.  I thought about how just that morning, this person had no idea that this was the last time he would be at home.  I wondered how would be waiting for him, and he never returning.  I wondered what he and others would have done differently had they known this was his last day. 

Graves in Uganda

 Life is so fragile.  I realized this more and more each day.

I want to live my life without regrets.  I want to make each and every day count to better the life of someone.  Thank you to everyone of you that are mission partners that make this possible. 

As we see so much poverty and malnutrition in various places, my heart aches that I personally cannot do more to help each and every person.  I have to keep reminding myself, that we are not here to give “a man a fish, but to teach him to fish”.  I wouldn’t have enough “fish” to make a dent anyhow.  We don’t want to add to the downward spiral of creating a system of dependency and lack of ability.  We want to empower people with knowledge and skills so they can reach healthy standards in many areas of their lives.  Sanitation, nutrition, industry (enterprise), attitude, farming, and all the rest of the FARM STEW principles are key ingredients to help people to have abundant life. 

I am thankful for the positive impact that FARM STEW is having in so many places and with so many people here in Uganda and also in South Sudan.  As people learn these principles and apply them to their daily lives, lives are improving.  People have hope.  They have hope to give their children good nutrition, and to make some money so they can help them with their basic needs.  They have hope that they are not helpless victims of circumstances, but people who have dignity and can do something to improve themselves and their lives.  People need dignity.  People need hope.  And as people are given hope, we hope this will open the doors that many will realize the greatest Source of Hope that gives us abundant life now and for eternity.  The Nile is amazing and considered a source of life.  But real life is found in Jesus, and we hope to touch many lives that they will find true life in Jesus.

FARM STEW trainers,  volunteers and trainees.